[ZigZag]

Our 2014 EV now has 27,000 miles on it and brake dust on the front wheels has been an issue for some time. I'm asking if there's an upgrade for the stock pads like ceramic and if the recharging on coasting makes this a dealer visit or can a regular shop do the replacement. Thanks

 

[jimsokoloff]

All the regen is on the rear wheels, so that's a total non-issue for the front brakes. Friction brakes are conventional in any case.

I use and like Akebono ceramic pads on my daily drivers. EUR1252 is the Smart 451 front pad set. Available at RockAuto, Amazon, Ebay, and probably most places you'd go buy car parts.

 

[Yinzer]

Our 2014 EV now has 27,000 miles on it and brake dust on the front wheels has been an issue for some time. I'm asking if there's an upgrade for the stock pads like ceramic and if the recharging on coasting makes this a dealer visit or can a regular shop do the replacement. Thanks

My ED has 31K miles. The brake dust blackening the front wheels has been an annoyance for me too. It even seems to form a corrosive mix with the winter road salt brine so now there is permanent fine dark pitting.

Also, maybe it is the lack of engine noise, but my ED front brakes have always made a annoying scraping noise (its not the wear indicators).

Yes, maybe we should try some different aftermarket pads. Too late for the wheel appearance though...

The brakes are identical to the Smart IC engine versions so any shop can do them - just be sure they understand where the car's lift points are. Replacing the pads is also an easy DIY job so I'll do them myself.

 

[ZigZag]

All the regen is on the rear wheels, so that's a total non-issue for the front brakes. Friction brakes are conventional in any case.

I use and like Akebono ceramic pads on my daily drivers. EUR1252 is the Smart 451 front pad set. Available at RockAuto, Amazon, Ebay, and probably most places you'd go buy car parts.

I totally didn't know that about the regen, it's my wife's car and I hadn't looked into that.

 

[jwight]

If the brake dust has fused with the wheel coating, try some lacquer thinner and elbow grease to clean it off:

Cleaned surface in the middle, compared to dirty areas on either side.

 

[smark]

If the pads are the same, as what the ICE vehicles use. Just replace, with good ceramic pad. Very little to none, brake dust. That’s the route, I went. I replaced the rotors too, at the time.

 

[Yinzer]

If the pads are the same, as what the ICE vehicles use. Just replace, with good ceramic pad. Very little to none, brake dust. That’s the route, I went. I replaced the rotors too, at the time.

The pads are the same as far as fit. The only thing is that with the ED, it is important that any friction in the "very lightly dragging" brake pad condition when the brake pedal is up is minimal to non-existent to minimize rolling friction, and that they don't start rubbing when the brake pedal is pressed lightly so they don't rob kinetic energy from the regen braking syatem. Yeah, such concerns are in the "hyper-miling" category - but is important to most of us ED enthusiasts.

 

[smark]

Zig zag check out Rock auto for brake pads. It looks like the EV and ICE smart cars use the same brake pads.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog...tric,3310376,brake+&+wheel+hub,brake+pad,1684

 

[jimsokoloff]

If it's your first time using RockAuto, be aware that there's always a 5% off coupon code. Google "Rock Auto coupon", find a valid code, and paste it into the "How'd you hear about us?" textbox at checkout. They'll mail you a code (good for 90 days or so) after you order for your next order, but there's always someone who has posted their code, so might as well save a few bucks for a google search.

 

[InjuredAgain]

I was standing in the garage when my wife drove off this morning. That initial noise from the front brakes as she backed out sounded horrendous, though it's significantly muted when inside the car. I'm still on the OEM pads and if nothing else, this convinces me that I need to get the pads changed.

When I first got on this forum, the recommendation was for pads from O'Reilly, part number C1252. I just took a look and they're $68 locally, so the Akebono sound like a really good deal.

 

[jimsokoloff]

If the car's been sitting a while and the rotors have a little surface rust on them, the first brake application can sound horrific on any car. I wouldn't use noise as the primary driver (no pun intended) of changing pads.

 

[InjuredAgain]

It had just sat overnight after being driven in the rain. But living in one of the perpetually dampest winter climates, and having a track car with slotted rotors and race pads, I'm pretty used to noisy brakes on their first application of the day. **No** passenger car, though, should sound like this. It's an 80-grit sandpaper on corrugated metal kind of noise that triggers that involuntary "I have to go to the bathroom" response like fingernails on a blackboard. That plus what looks like a machine grey colored front rim a couple of days after a good wash and it's time for me to stop being lazy and get them changed. Especially for less than $50 for Akebonos from RockAuto. That's better than a sharp stick in the eye!

 

[blackout]

I recommend the EBC "red stuff" pads. I swapped to them from some no-name pads that were on it before. They bite very nicely and put off zero dust.

https://www.amazon.com/EBC-Brakes-D...=UTF8&qid=1545081963&sr=8-1&keywords=DP31287C

 

[mattwithcats]

Autoanything has EBC brake pads and rotors, starting at $115///


https://www.autoanything.com/brakes/ebc-brake-kits


They have Black, Green, and Red, along with slotted and drilled rotors too...


One more set of rotors is hiding...


https://www.autoanything.com/brakes/ebc-bsd-rotors

 

[BB Benz]

O'Reilly's ceramic house brand are made by Bosch. No dust. work great. May squeal with first application of brakes while rubbing the rust off the discs.
Orange oil cleaner degreaser works great to get black stuff off wheels easily. Look for the 100% orange oil spray cleaner. others have diluted formula and are not as effective.